Zucchini Moons

Recently I visited my beloved local library. There in the vestibule along with the usual assortment of magazines and paperback books for trade was a plump, curvaceous… zucchini! I laughed out loud. If that wily, charitable gardener had Mom’s recipe for Zucchini Moons (or Zucchini Velvet Soup or Tender-Crisp Sauteed Zucchini or Zucchini Lasagna “Noodles”) he or she might not have been so quick to “abandon” that fair squash! I love Zucchini Moons so much I often allow my first zucchini to grow nice and plump, just so I can make them. When I was growing up on a small farm in southern Oregon I always looked forward to Mom’s Zucchini Moons and always especially relished the first of the season. They taste just like summer.

Zucchini should be plump, with no developed seeds inside.

1 plump, tender zucchini

several eggs

all-purpose flour

maybe a little milk

onion powder

salt & freshly ground black pepper

olive oil or butter

Heat a cast iron or nonstick skillet (or electric griddle if you want to make a bunch) over medium heat.

Wash, pat dry, and then slice the lucky zucchini into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Simple pantry ingredients

Coat both sides with sticky batter.

In a shallow bowl, make a batter of the eggs (try 3), flour (about 1/2 cup added a couple Tablespoons at a time and beaten with a fork). You should have a thick, sticky batter. Stir in onion powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to your liking.

Lightly oil the skillet. Dredge zucchini slices one at a time in the sticky batter, coating both sides. If the batter is runny and won’t stick, stir in another Tbs. of flour. If it gets too thick, try adding a Tbs. or less of milk or water. Cook in a hot skillet about 10 minutes, until golden on the bottom, then flip and cook other side a couple minutes, until done. Eat hot with a garden-fresh salad. Yummy!

1 cup quinoa
Place quinoa in a quart jar, add lukewarm water to nearly fill the jar, cover with a sprouting lid or piece of fine nylon netting secured with a rubber band and soak 8 hours or … Read more

"Baked" in the dehydrator crackers compete with the most gourmet crackers you'll find at the market. Designed for a square dehydrator, like the Excalibur, this recipe yields about 1 3/4 lbs. of … Read more

Shaping Variation: Caramel Crown
My aunt Sharon would fix Caramel Rolls for a special breakfast whenever we traveled to the Midwest to visit her, Uncle George, and my cousins John and Alayne. … Read more

Chai-Spiced Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
Another great reason to grow or even <gasp!> buy zucchini. These cupcakes are fluffy and tender, redolent with the aromas of nutmeg, … Read more

Last fall I ready a blog post by Kathi Lipp, one of my favorite bloggers. In it she talked about the importance of hospitality in friendship. (See the original post here~ www.kathilipp.com) Many … Read more

Fragrant spices soaked in real half & half or coconut milk bloom into exquisite fullness in your refrigerator or freezer; brown sugar contributes a caramel-y undertone. With this mix you are … Read more

When the weather heats up, grill your pizza!
There is a way to make great pizza; pizza with a crackling crust and the tang of smoke, cheese that bubbles in pools around bits of garden … Read more

The ingredients are in your cupboard!
Handy sink set-up
For this season's Kitchen Wisdom finale I want to leave you with another skill in your repertoire -homemade … Read more

Kill bacteria for less then a penny a bottle
Three of the four bottles above are re-purposed. From left to right are: tabasco bottle,
tincture bottle, Sprayco pump spray bottle (new; … Read more